Moscow, Feb. 27 -- Russia on Thursday slammed the US for its "inappropriate and counter-productive" demands that India stop unloading Russian oil tankers. The US had set a deadline of February 27 for India to comply.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova emphasised that India has not officially joined the Western-initiated restrictive measures against Russia.

She reiterated that Russia categorically rejects any unilateral coercive measures, particularly in the energy sector.

"We have noted the recent US demands for India to unload tankers carrying Russian oil by February 27. It is important to emphasise that India has not officially joined the illegitimate restrictive measures that the West initiated," said the Russian ...